There were a number of good things about this book; the general standard of the writing; the background and the clear evidence of the research that had gone into establishing it; but for me the book failed in, to me, the key job of any novel, the storytelling. In my view there were two key, interconnected flaws, firstly the very long exposition sections, which deter acted from the main story, albeit interesting enough in themselves, and secondly, and crucially, the lack of pace in what is intended to be a thriller. Because of the quality of the writing itself I will probably give Warren Adler another try but this was ultimately disappointing. ( )

This is an enticing tale of Egypt’s politics during the reign of King Farouk. With historical facts as background Mr. Adler as created an amazing story not only how the King was involved in criminal activities but how his lust for power and his desire for sex has affected those he picked and choose for his evening prowess.

The story is told through the eyes of Farrah, the King favorite dancer, her son Si who is consumed by the need to find out what happened to his sister he didn’t know he had after his mother told him of her hidden past and a twisted man named Zakki who was Farrah’s pimp. The story is primarily set in Cairo of today and is told overtime from their viewpoints as we follow Si’s on a treacherous journey for the truth.

This rich and dark often disturbing saga is written in powerful prose, intense descriptions of revenge, greed, lust, murder, torture and love are showcased throughout although they are not overly graphic. The central plot moves forward at a steady and satisfying pace with a myriad of conflicts exposing to seedier sides of Cairo. Mr. Adler’s ability with words brings us an unimaginable world filled with smells, sights and sounds. The characters’ actions are fitting and quite understandable making them real and vulnerable. We have a whirlwind of mix emotions that slowly sneak up on us while reading. This story is so skillfully drawn to pull us in from the start and keep us captive till the very end. It becomes hard not to be invested by what is happening, I know I simply couldn’t put this engrossing and engaging novel down. I wouldn’t be surprise to see this novel be made into a movie one day……

I received an advance copy of this book as a gift from the author. ( )